“That princess really knows how to make things difficult. The treasure she wants is impossible to find… How am I supposed to fool her?”

After parting with the princess, the cultist woman hadn’t gone far—she remained hidden somewhere deep in the city. Lost in thought over how to handle Her Highness, she failed to notice the subtle shift in the shadow beneath her feet.

A slick of black liquid oozed from her shadow. No bigger than a baby’s fist, it stretched endlessly, rapidly spreading to wrap around her from all sides.

“What is this!?”

Like sealing a dumpling around its filling, the black substance formed a thin film and instantly encased her. Stretched from such a tiny source, the layer was as fine as silk—yet impossibly unbreakable.

Trapped in a human-shaped cocoon, it clung like opaque black rubber. She thrashed wildly, clawing at the film stuck to her clothes, but not a single tear appeared.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!”

The film over her face bulged with each breath, then sank inward—but her breathing soon stopped. Her struggles stilled. Her form shrank and dissolved like soap melting in water. Finally assimilated, the substance reverted to a fist-sized blob of black slime and slithered back into the shadows.

Meanwhile, outside Morningstar’s inn room, the same slime oozed from the darkness before her. She bent gracefully, extending slender, fair fingers. The slime crawled onto her fingertip and melted into her skin.

“So that’s how it is~”

Having absorbed the cultist’s memories, Morningstar now understood the deal between her and the princess.

“Hmph~ A nobody not even worthy of a name. Unfit to be my servant. Your soul shall be my snack, my nourishment~ Consider it an honor~”

She chewed slowly, savoring the overflow of fear.

Ah~ Absolutely delicious~

“It seems Her Highness holds quite a grudge against her elder sister.”

From the memories: the princess had tasked the cultist with retrieving the “Heartflame” from the Dark Sorceress’s vast treasury—a legendary flame said to melt the ice around the queen’s heart. In return, the princess promised to help the cultist claim the Dark Sorceress’s relic: the witch’s necklace.

Alas, the naive princess had been deceived. The Second-generation Witch’s hoard held no such thing as the Heartflame.

“Oh my~ Looks like I’ve stumbled into a family feud~ Let me help bridge the gap between you sisters~”

Morningstar smiled faintly—and vanished into the dark.

She reappeared outside the princess’s inn. Through her Demon Eye, she saw the area veiled in invisible ice magic. Anyone stepping inside had already entered the princess’s domain.

“Quite vigilant, aren’t we~”

Morningstar weighed her options.

“Devour her outright?”

To uncover the queen’s secrets, consuming the princess was inevitable. But her level—46—surpassed Selina’s, nearly half of Little Dragoness’s power. Would a forced devouring stir ripples strong enough to alert others?

“Hmm~ Just like with Leticia. Strike only when her guard drops—silent, seamless.”

Direct consumption risked exposure once she entered the kingdom.

“In that case~”

Black substance surfaced across her skin. As it enveloped her completely and receded, her appearance shifted—now identical to the cultist she’d just consumed. She accessed and organized the cultist’s memories (she never left absorbed memories lingering; they cloud the self). After a quick preview, Morningstar slipped perfectly into role and stepped into the frost-laced domain.

The princess sensed her the moment she crossed the threshold.

“Hnn!”

Lying in bed, the princess snapped her eyes open. Within her domain, she saw all. Recognizing the visitor, she relaxed, rose, dressed, and opened the door.

“Why are you here? We parted just two days ago. Did you already find it?”

“We’re in luck, Your Highness! Pure chance led me to it—the very thing you described.”

“Really!?”

Sheltered and adored her whole life, the princess was quick to believe. Her face lit with hope as she hurried closer.

“Let me see it.”

Truthfully, she didn’t know what the Heartflame truly was—only that ancient texts claimed it could melt frozen hearts. She sought it to save her sister… and her kingdom.

“Right here, Your Highness.”

Morningstar presented a prop: an oil-lamp-like object with a tiny flame glowing inside its glass shade. Eerie green light pulsed within—cold, heatless, yet convincingly mystical.

“This is the Heartflame.”

Not foolish, the princess tested it with a breath of frost. Even under extreme cold, the flame burned on—clearly no ordinary fire.

“Hard to verify while you hold it. Hand it over.”

“Of course.”

Morningstar reached out, lamp in hand. *Hehehe… Your Highness, you’re far too gullible.* At the closest moment—she’d strike.

But the instant their fingers neared contact—

The air froze solid. Temperature plummeted. In a flash, thick ice encased Morningstar completely.